Tutoring Matters Webinar Series “How can I be an effective personal tutor and what is out there to help me do this?” A qualitative study into staff perceptions of their personal tutor role and the influence of key resources Tutoring Matters is sponsored by Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
Webinar presenters Ben W Walker Alison Raby Dave Lochtie Host Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
Today’s webinar The webinar aims to help you: • assess the value of tailored personal tutoring resources (both student-facing and for staff development in the role) produced as part of a national research project; • understand the background, rationale, key issues, and methodology behind our Lincoln- based research on personal tutoring; • identify and discuss the findings and evaluation of this research; • consider the implications of this research on personal tutoring both in terms of tutoring/advising practice and areas for potential future work. It will include ‘thinking points’ for participants along with time for questions at the end. Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
• more students = greater diversity, increased competition • concern about league tables (influenced by retention), • differential outcomes for under-represented Policy & context groups, developments • 2012 increase in fees / ‘value for money’ debate • HE Research Act (2017) = regulatory framework (OfS & TEF) (Thomas and Hixenbaugh, 2006: 5-6; Context Thomas, 2017b; Walker, 2018) • importance of the ‘ human side of education ’ and a sense of ‘belonging’ to student retention and success • the academic sphere is the most important site for Key research nurturing this headlines (Thomas 2012; 2017) • engagement is a critical factor in differential outcomes • not all students have the social or cultural capital needed to engage readily or ask for support (Mountford-Zimdars et al, 2015) Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
In terms of personal tutoring… How have these sector developments manifested themselves at your institution? Critical Thinking Discussion Activity 1 • A change and re-evaluation of the relationship between HEIs and students • A personalised learning experience Universities emphasising it Students expecting (demanding?) it • Universities reviewing tutorial arrangements Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
What are the practical dilemmas and challenges (in terms of personal tutoring) resulting from this? Discussion • Pressurised situation caused by metrics- based situation Critical Thinking Activity 2 • Chronic under- resourcing… ➢ purpose, models & structures of PTing not well articulated (Lochtie et al, 2018: 6) ➢ in terms of staffing ➢ in terms of support & development for tutors “training opportunities for tutors can be superficial, lacking in sufficient depth and lacking in purpose” (Lochtie et al, 2018: 6) Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
The contradiction? Increasing importance of the personal tutor role and yet…. What creates the need It remains an under- for a personalised developed and under- learning experience researched area makes it impossible to deliver with any “The field of personal tutoring in higher education effectiveness? is something of an academic research desert” (Thomas in Lochtie at al, 2018: x) Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
The literature Of the literature which does exist in the field…. • views of tutors have been gathered through institutional research (Owen, 2002; Ridley, 2006; Stephen, 2008; McFarlane, 2016) • These elicit ➢ issues with perceived confidence and competence (and factors affecting this) ➢ the challenges in the delivery of the role ➢ gaps in training and ongoing support • Few research studies into personal tutoring, fewer still which demonstrate impact on student outcomes (Webb et al, 2017) and, I would argue, staff Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
Operating within personal tutoring at the University of Lincoln which can be thought of as: Is about ➢ The curriculum model (Earwaker, 1992; practical Lochtie et al, 2018: 22) resources & ➢ The integrated model (McIntosh, 2018) support of personal tutoring with a ‘senior tutor’ role This study Previous studies (Owen, 2002; Ridley, 2006; Stephen, 2008; McFarlane, 2016) established ➢ The value of tutoring Responds to ➢ But associated concerns gaps identified in the This study responds by literature ➢ Providing an intervention to address such concerns ➢ Assessing the efficacy/impact of this intervention Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
What does resourcing / support / development of personal tutoring look like at your institution? Discussion • May depend which of the 3 aspects above is being talked about Critical Thinking Activity 3 • Often department specific? • Informational v Developmental (more of which later) Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
The intervention • Tailored development materials for tutoring (created as part of the Intervention for Success Project) • student-facing (for use in individual and group tutorials) • staff-facing (to enhance professional development in the role • universally available (creative commons licensed) • Professional Development Programme for Personal Tutors – Tutoring the Tutors (not assessed as part of the study) http://lncn.eu/ptmaster Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
Research questions Prior to the provision of tailored personal How effective do personal tutor resources for level one students and tutors perceive their support staff, what resources and support do of level one students to be personal tutors draw on to address challenges in supporting level one students when working with students at at risk of underachievement and/or risk of underachievement withdrawal? and/or withdrawal? After engagement with tailored personal tutor resources for students and staff, what are personal tutors’ perceptions of the support and resources available to address the challenges in supporting level one students at risk of underachievement and/or withdrawal? Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
• Cyclical • Insider research Type • Semi-structured 1 to 1 interviews • Pre and post intervention (12 weeks apart) • Research population Methodology • A perceptions study • Detailed exploration of the individual and lived experiences and the meanings that these hold for the participants (Smith and Data analysis Eatough, 2016: 50) • Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Lyons and Cole, 2007) • Thematic content analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006; Bryman, 2008; Saldana, 2016) Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
Findings How effective do personal tutors perceive their support of level one students to be when working with students at risk of underachievement and/or withdrawal? Commonly held Perceived effect / Factors affecting Factors affecting Factors affecting perceptions of influence / impact perceived perceived understanding & personal tutoring effectiveness/ confidence/ performance influence competence • Levels of effect - • Attributes and • Lack of clarity & interlinked skills • Difficulty of • Pastoral or consistency • Importance of measuring • Scope and • Boundary issues academic tutoring ethos • Level of function • Workload / • Level of and approach structural issue peer/team experience support • Early • Causal factors / • Background • Gaps in identification underlying / previous support/develop • Though referral issues (students) employment ment to professional • Level of services experience Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
Findings How effective do personal tutors perceive their support of level one students to be when working with students at risk of underachievement and/or withdrawal? you just have a mixed bag that is very difficult; particularly out there … I think we if you have an upset student; to should be more unified, in keep that boundary.…the line we terms of how we approach are given is that you don’t deal personal tutoring. At the with those personal issues; which I don’t think is a reflection of moment, I think it is fairly what really happens in personal ad-hoc tutoring sessions (Interviewee 2) (Interviewee 3) If you use the right strategies, and engage in collaborative conversation, rather than rescuing or rejecting, then you could have a massive impact (Interviewee 8) Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
Findings Prior to the provision of tailored personal tutor resources for level one students and staff, what resources and support do personal tutors draw on to address challenges in supporting level one students at risk of underachievement and/or withdrawal? Types of general support are Types of resources and Gaps in support and resources aware of & use; views on the materials are aware of & use; identified usefulness of views on the usefulness of • Need for clear induction on • Importance of peer support, • Department and team the role trusted colleagues and team specific resources • Lack of generic university • Knowledge of support • University wide resources wide resources for tutors mechanisms (for referral only) • More training on the • Lack of awareness, • Individual resources pastoral side needed knowledge • Looking after yourself Tutoring Matters Webinar Series
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